HONDA RACING SET FOR THRUXTON CHALLENGE

Honda Racing’s trio of riders are gearing up for Thruxton in Hampshire this weekend (31 July – 2 August) as the 2015 MCE British Superbike championship reaches the seventh round of the series.

Jenny Tinmouth left the last round at Brands Hatch positive after a confidence-boosting weekend on her Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade, finishing both races in 19th and 22nd, and recording her personal best lap time at the GP circuit.

Team-mate Dan Linfoot missed an opportunity at Brands Hatch in race two following a crash, which ruled him out of contention after placing eighth in the first outing. Linfoot, 27, in the past has enjoyed successful races at the fast and flowing 3.791km Hampshire circuit.

Completing the Honda trio, Jason O’Halloran remains a strong contender for a place in the Showdown, sitting in fifth position in the championship points. The Australian left the previous round with a solid ninth place finish, after a collision with other riders ruled him out of race one.

O’Halloran, 28, heads to Thruxton fresh from taking part in the Suzuka 8-Hours with the Dream RT Sakuari Honda team with Troy Herfoss and Naomichi Uramoto. The squad finished the race in 48th, after Uramoto crashed while running in seventh position. The CBR’s crash damage was repairable and the team was able to continue and finish the prestigious race.

Originally built in 1940, Thruxton was used as a World War II airfield and home to both the RAF and USAF. In 1946 it was decommissioned and from 1950 it was used for motorsport. The 3.791km circuit boasts long, fast straights and flowing corners to tight, demanding complex and chicane sections.

"I absolutely love Thruxton and it’s a circuit that holds happy memories for me; I started the race from pole last year and have had some positive results there, so looking forward to seeing what I can do this weekend. Since Brands I have been looking at my riding and what I can do differently, and have been studying lots of on-board and track data from Thruxton, so hoping it will come together and I can do the Fireblade some justice! I know the circuit well and know I can be fast there, so I just hope it all comes together this weekend and I can get back in contention for a place in the Showdown." - Dan Linfoot

"I can’t wait to get out on the CBR at Thruxton; it’s a great, fast flowing circuit that I have really enjoyed riding at in the past. The Fireblade is a lot faster than my old bike so I’m looking forward to getting out on-track and seeing what we can do! At Brands we made some small changes to the bike, to see what works and what doesn’t and also what suits my riding style, so I’m feeling a lot more confident going into the weekend. The aim for Thruxton is to finish both races and just keep improving my times, and hopefully have some more top-20 finishes." - Jenny Tinmouth

"I’m really looking forward to getting back on my Fireblade this weekend and heading to a cooler circuit, after racing at the Suzuka 8-Hours on Sunday! Thruxton is a fun circuit to ride and last year I had an exciting race, with solid results, so am looking forward to seeing what I can do on the Superbike. We had a few small issues at Brands and couldn’t get the most out of the CBR or my riding - even with the issues we weren’t too far from the top group and their lap times, so that’s encouraging. We have some work and changes to try during the practice sessions, and then need to make sure we qualify well to get a good starting position. I’m confident for some top-five finishes this weekend." - Jason O'Halloran